Discovery Channel’s ‘Shark Week’ Returns On August 4th

Shark Week, the longest running must-see summer TV event is back on August 4th! Building upon last year’s eight shark-filled specials, a whopping 12 Shark Week episodes coupled with the first ever late night Shark Weektalk show gives this year’s Shark Week the most premiere hours ever featured in the 26-year history of the event!

One of this year’s Shark Week firsts is Shark After Dark, Discovery’s new late-night talk show that will air each evening during Shark Week. Our host will lead viewers through an hour-long celebration of all things shark-related with segments that highlight favorite moments from Shark Week. The show also features unexpected guests, shark experts, shark attack survivors, and more.

Following a year of shark encounters closely followed by the media, Sharkpocalypse examines the trend of sharks moving in closer to shorelines, and debates whether there is a connection between declining shark populations and the increase in shark attacks.

Another first this year is Shark Cam, a robot submarine that is used to track sharks in a new and exciting way. Return of Jaws includes spectacular footage of Shark Cam following Great White Sharks living and hunting off the shores of Cape Cod. Footage of a 17-foot Great White is seen at close range over a five hour period as the shark hunts seal colonies, comes close to shore in less than four feet of water, and takes a chilling interest in one specific area.

In Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives (WT), Discovery brings Shark Week viewers on a search for a massive killer great white shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the great white that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate whether this predator, long thought to be extinct, could still be lurking in our deepest oceans.

I Escaped Jaws features yet another Shark Week first as we utilize for the first time real shark attack footage captured by eye-witnesses. Viewers experience harrowing first-hand accounts from everyday people who stared into the jaws of a shark and survived. Some used their wits; some relied on experience, and all lived to share their chilling stories.

A lesser-known shark “hot spot” is explored in Voodoo Sharks, where Bull Shark populations have moved beyond oceans and U.S. coasts to the bayous of Louisiana. Nicknamed ‘Voodoo Sharks’ by local shrimp fishermen, these Bull Sharks have the extraordinary ability to live in both salt and fresh water environments. They show up by the hundreds in the bayous of Louisiana and create more than just confusion for those who encounter them for the first time.

Check out the first promo for this year’s Shark Week below!

It’s no secret that FanBolt (namely FanBolt’s Editor) is a huge fan of sharks, so you can expect a boat-load of Shark Week coverage as we get closer to the event! Will you be watching? Share your Shark Week love with us in the comment section below!

Emma Loggins is the Editor in Chief of FanBolt. As an internationally recognized "Geek Girl", Emma updates daily on the latest entertainment news, her opinions on current happenings in the media, screening/filming opportunities, inside scoops and more. She’s been writing on the world of geekdom and pop culture since 2002 and is also considered to be one of the top Atlanta bloggers and influencers!